


Shadows that Bind Us No More

by QueenieZ



Category: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Drama, Dreams, F/M, Fingerfucking, Makeup Sex, Married Sex, Missionary Position, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 16:24:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1311388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenieZ/pseuds/QueenieZ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Demise wanted me to live under his shadow," Link said, "he wanted to ruin us with fear.  But, I can't..." He buried his face in the crook of his wife's neck, clenching his eyes shut.  "...I won't give him the satisfaction.  I won't let him win...!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shadows that Bind Us No More

He stared down his reflection in the clear pool of water, and he watched as his own brow creased and his lips formed into a small frown filled with worry.  This endless realm of clear, blue skies, this water in which he could so clearly see the troubles of his heart - he remembered it well, from a time in years past during his greatest of trials and most glorious of battles.  Although he had left this place in body victorious, hailed as the one true Hero by the heavens, he had found that he never could quite leave in spirit; that the shadows which bound his thoughts here had no intention of releasing them from their grasp.

The reflection in the water scowled; then, with a forceful stroke of Link's hand, it was destroyed, the remnants of its image dispersing amongst the ripples.  He balled his hand into a fist, watching as moisture dripped from his knuckles.  He more than knew what this place was supposed to represent, and his thoughts returned to the name of the beast whose presence still lurked in the back of his mind.

" _Demise_ ," he muttered through his teeth as he clenched his fist tighter.  He rose to his feet and cried out to the heavens.  "Are you enjoying yourself, you monster!?  Forcing your way into my head like this!?"  He spread out his arms in a gesture of defiance.  "I _destroyed_ you!  You're _gone_!  You're _nothing_ to me now - so why can't you _stay_ that way, huh!?"

All around him, the blue skies grew dark, and the rolling of thunder heralded the answer to his questions.  From across the horizon, a bellowing voice laughed at him.

"Foolish Hero!" it sneered, "I am not one who will be destroyed so easily!  My hatred springs eternal, and my memory shall follow you like a shadow until the end of your days!"

Link's face contorted into a hateful expression, and he raised his voice once more.  "You are _nothing_ to me!!" he repeated.  "I don't give a _damn_ about your curse - I have a life now, a _happy_ life, with the people I love and hope for our future!  You have _no power_ to take that away from me...!"

Demise's voice scoffed.  "A small fragment of joy in an eternity of torment!  A mere child's dream!  Do you truly believe this illusion of happiness - your marriage, your little village, your so-called 'hope for the future' - will last forever?"

Tensing at his words, Link grimaced.  "Shut up!  You can't -- "

"Hear me, Chosen One!!  Your pretense of a happy ending is _meaningless_!"  The Demon King's roars were accompanied by loud cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning.  "One day, eons from now, you will find yourself waking from your pathetic little dream to the sight of the Goddess' blood, pooling at your feet as it mingles with your own!"

Demise's laughter began anew as rain poured down, causing Link to wince and cover his head with his arms.  It was then that his eyes met the water beneath him once more - and it was then that he saw a murky red begin to form at his feet.  To his horror, the blood dispersed rapidly, encircling him as the laughter grew louder and the lightning flashed brighter...

\---

Link jolted upright with a gasp, his brow drenched in sweat as he clutched his hand to his chest.

As his breathing slowed and his senses returned to him, he noticed the sound of the rain and rolling thunder outside of his cozy little house on the surface.  For a moment, he wondered if perhaps the noise had triggered his nightmare; however, when he looked down at his hand, which covered only a small portion of the giant gash he'd received in his fateful battle with Demise, he knew that it surely more than just the rain that brought on these awful nightmares.

He turned his head to his left, where his wife Zelda still lay asleep, undisturbed by his sudden movement.  ...It was just as well, he thought - he had no intention of worrying her in the middle of the night with his own inner demons, after all.

With a deep frown and a shaken sigh, he carefully climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen.  Though he was normally want to sleep as much as he could, even he knew that rest would elude him as long as the beast still lingered in his mind.

\---

The rain was still pouring when Zelda's eyelids flickered open.  With a small, sleepy groan, she turned her attention to a nearby window and saw how dark it still was.  Figuring that it was still far, far too early to get up, she sighed, rolling over in an attempt to make herself comfortable again.

When she saw the other half of the bed empty, however, she frowned - of all people to get up in the darkest hours of the morning, she figured that her sleepy-headed husband would not be one of them.  Confused and the slightest bit worried, she crawled out of bed, stretching and yawning before venturing out to look for him.

"Link?" she said groggily, "Did you get up already?"

Though she heard no answer from him, she eventually noticed the light of a small oil lamp coming from the kitchen table.  There, she saw Link staring forlornly into a half-drunken cup of coffee without so much as bothering to put a shirt on.  With a fretful frown, Zelda grabbed a throw from a nearby chair and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"You could at least cover yourself up," she said.  "You'll freeze with the weather we're having."

Link turned to look at her, paused, then sighed with a sad smile.  "I forgot to put something on," he said.  "...I was hoping you wouldn't find me out here."

"Why," she asked, "so I wouldn't worry about you?"  She brushed his sideburn with her fingertips.  "Tell me what's wrong, Link."

Again, Link didn't answer her; instead, he returned his attention to his coffee.

"...You had another nightmare," said Zelda, "didn't you?"

With a nervous swallow, Link shut his eyes.  "I don't understand it," he said, his voice soft and anxious.  "All I want is to live my life without that - " he grimaced, folding his hands in front of him before continuing, " - that _demon_ burrowing into my head and ruining everything!"

"Link, _please_ ," said Zelda worriedly, taking his hands in hers, "Demise is _gone_ , you know that!  He doesn't have any power over -- "

"Then why can't I stop thinking about what he said!?" Link pulled his hands away and covered his face with them.  "You and me, our descendents... he's not going to stop until he's gotten revenge on _all_ of us!"  He choked back a small sob.  "What if... what if I wake up one day and all of this is gone?  Everything we've built, this life that we've made... _us_... what if he comes back to destroy all of that!?  What then!?"

Taken aback by his outburst, Zelda's eyes went wide.  "Link...!"

He shook his head.  "...I'm sorry," he said hoarsely, "just - just go back to bed.  I'll be... I'll be fine in the morning."

Zelda opened her mouth to protest; then, she thought better of it.  Though it broke her heart to see him shut her out like this, she also knew that, given time, he would likely open up to her once more.  After a moment of silence, she straightened herself back up, rubbing her upper arms anxiously with a sigh.

"...Just try to get some rest, Link," she said, turning to walk back to their bedroom.  "Goodnight."

When he heard the hurt and disappointment in her voice, Link returned his gaze to her.  He watched as she shuffled back to their bed, alone, doubtlessly filled with worry for him... and in that moment, he realized that his memory of Demise and his curse had cast a shadow not just over him, but over Zelda as well.  It threatened to overtake their happiness, to drive a wedge of dread and uncertainty between them - it threatened to use his fear as a weapon, and he, his wife, and everyone he had ever loved and cherished would be the casualties...

And he couldn't let that happen.  The Spirit of the Hero within him would not allow it.

"...Zelda."

Zelda froze in place when she heard her name; then, she gasped slightly when she felt Link embrace her tightly from behind.

"Forgive me," he said, "I've... I've let this eat away at me for too long.  I know how much it hurts you."

Zelda gingerly covered his wrist with her hand, turning her head to face him.  "Oh, Link... please, don't blame yourself for this..."

He moved his hand to take a hold of hers and his voice began to tremble as he spoke.  "He wanted me to live under his shadow," he said, "he wanted to ruin us with fear.  But, I can't..." He buried his face in the crook of her neck, clenching his eyes shut.  "...I _won't_ give him the satisfaction.  I _won't_ let him win...!"

For a moment, Zelda was at a loss for what to say to him.  However, eventually, her look of surprise gave way to a calm, loving smile, and she nestled her head against his.  "I believe you, love," she said, relieved and proud of the resolve he showed.

They stood in silence for a while in the warmth of each other's company.  Link breathed deeply, savoring her scent and the feel of her skin on his face; Zelda's fingers intertwined with his as she relaxed in his embrace.  Soon, however, Link could feel a flame ignite in his heart - a desire to show Demise just how wrong he was, a desire for _her_ , this woman with whom he had vowed to share his happiness.

So he placed his lips on her neck, kissing it tenderly.  Zelda hummed in delight at his gentle advances, tilting her head and silently encouraging him to continue.  At that, Link doubled his efforts; his kisses became more intense, and his hands wandered down to her hips.  His fingers clutched at the fabric of her spring nightgown, drawing the hem up and exposing her thighs and underwear.

Zelda's breath hitched slightly in anticipation.  "Ah... Link..."

"He has no idea what I have in you," muttered Link, sliding his right hand into her underwear, "what _we_ have, together..."

He began to stroke her; slowly at first, causing Zelda to let out a happy sigh.  As he moved his fingers in rhythmic circles, he continued kissing her face and neck.  He could feel her cheeks growing hot, and when he noticed how warm and wet she became under his fingers, he pulled her close, rubbing her more vigorously as she began to moan.

Wordlessly, Zelda joined her hand with his, and she began to rub her body against his growing erection.  Then, with a quiet grunt, Link turned the attention of his other hand to her breast, massaging it through the fabric of her nightgown.  Guiding his fingers to the spot she most desperately wanted him to touch, Zelda closed her eyes as she breathed his name.  Finally, her fingers began to tremble over his, and with a choked cry she came, falling into him slightly as her breathing became heavy and labored.

Link used his arms to steady her, pleased by the result of his efforts.  He wondered to himself whether that beast who wished to torment him could even begin to understand his feelings, this white-hot desire and endless love for another person... However, his thoughts could not distract him from his body's need, and he gently turned his wife around, placing his hands on her waist.

"Zelda..." he said in a soft, pleading voice.

Smiling at the honest love in his eyes, Zelda nodded, then pulled her nightgown over her head.

Allowing his lips to curl into a slight grin, Link took a firmer hold of her waist, leading her a few steps away to their bed and gingerly laying her down on it.  He then joined her, helping her as she slithered out of her underwear before hastily removing his own.  Once he had kicked his last shred of clothing to the floor, he positioned himself over her, resting on his elbows and taking her face in his hands.

"I promise you," he said breathlessly, "I will never, _ever_ let his shadow tear us apart - I'll never let him take this away from us...!"

Zelda reached up, caressing his face and hair lovingly.  "I know you won't," she said, "and neither will I."

They kissed, desperately and passionately as they drew their bodies close together.  She struggled to open her legs for him; he struggled to guide himself inside of her.  Once joined, she wrapped her legs around him, guiding his eager movements deeper within her.  Removing his lips from hers only to draw quick breaths, Link clutched her hair in her fingers, all lingering thoughts of the Demon King's curse fading from his mind as they were replaced by the name of his love.  Zelda, Zelda, _his_ Zelda, the one gave him so much joy and so much strength...!

He let out an impassioned groan into her mouth as he reached his climax, and in an instant, all of his earlier tension vanished.  Their lips parted one last time, and with heavy gasps for air, Link allowed himself to relax.

"Hah..." he sighed, "Z-Zelda... I..."

She wiped a bead of sweat from his brow with her fingers.  "Do you feel better now, Link?"

Opening his eyes once more, he nodded.  "...Thanks, Zelda."  He rolled over to his side, resting his head on her chest and holding her dearly.  "Thank you.  For everything."

Zelda made a small, affirmative noise in response.  She played with a few strands of his hair.  "You're so strong, Link... I'm so proud of you."  She placed a light kiss on the top of his head.  "Please, hold onto your happiness.  You deserve it - we both do."

Link said nothing; presumably, he was already well on his way to a peaceful, dreamless slumber after his long night of fear and anxiety.  With a quiet giggle, Zelda continued to run her fingers through his hair - how wonderful it was, she thought, that her beloved Hero could rest easily beside her, free from the shadow that bound his and her thoughts both.

After a moment, she returned her attention to the window, where the earliest signs of dawn had begun to break and the rain had given way to a quiet drizzle.


End file.
